Visiting the battlefields in 2020 & now in 2021.

At the moment I'm hoping things ease up and there is a favourable draw so I get to go see my team play in Europe (somewhere with nearby Battlefields would be ideal), but I'm forming a few backup plans and the most likely is a trip to Loos-en-Gohelle where my Great-Uncle was killed and spend a few days wandering round Loos, Lens, Vimy, Notre Dame De Lorrette and anywhere else I can fit in - time will tell though if I get anywhere.

 

I had advanced plans for yet another visit to Sweden this year, but alas it is declared a 'no-go-zone'. I now will stay nearby and have booked a nice cottage at Breedeweg (near Groesbeek) for a couple of weeks.It is situated at a stone's throw from the Reichswald and almost on the start-line of the 51st Highland Division in Operation Veritable.



There I hope to finish my recently acquired books about the US Army in the Mediterranean Theater, adding a virtual Battlefield Tour to North Africa & Sicily & Italy to my Op Veritable tour. I must not forget to take my Sun Cream along

 

Stolpi

I am guiding a battlefield tour to Salerno on 4-7 Feb 21 and Cassino on 13-16 May 21 if these are any good to you. Both are fascinating and controversial.

Regards

Frank

 

Going to the Dyle in August to see where a certain Victoria Cross was won and visiting a bridge in Belgium where the RAF won their first two VCs of WW2. Then the finale...Walking the escape and evasion route of Al Deere from Belgium to Dunkirk.

 

I would very much like to take a trip from Canada to the Netherlands (perhaps) but I have no plans this year. Honestly I don't know about intercontinental air travel before there is a vaccine. Obviously this is different from people visiting much more nearby countries.

 

We were hoping to take a week out as the mrs wanted to go to northern Germany to visit her relatives grave at Sage cemetery. Then back along the coast to mooch around the Dunkirk area, then maybe a bit more of a mooch around Normandy. Not sure when though, probably wait to see what things are like in October. If things haven`t ironed out by then we`ll give it a miss for this year.

 

Had a trip to Warsaw and Gdansk all booked and paid for in July. Had my itinerary all organised, photos I wanted to match up and everything. Still at least had all the money (some of it in vouchers) refunded, so hoping I can do it next year now.

 

Make that October now, third time lucky

 

Well it looks like what remains of 2020 will be a no go, I hope 2021 will be better but I`m not holding my breath. I`ll still renew the passport just in case....

 

First year sinds 1988 that I visited nothing. Horrible.

 

I had a trip booked to France and Belgium for this autumn and I renewed my passport in August to cover it.But alas the plans have been put back to Spring 2021.

I'm thinking of adding ad hoc trips to Germany possibly Austria but there will be the uncertainty of the European Health Card and getting appropriate health insurance.

Then looking at the itineraries of Shearings for interest,I see that they are still there but I believe the company went into administration.

 

I have slipped the 4-7 Feb 21 Salerno battlefield visit to 8-11 Apr 21.

Feb 21 seemed sensible when I set the visit up in Feb 20 but now I am not so sure - hence the change of dates.

Regards

Frank

 

Harry

Shearings was acquired by Leger Holidays in June this year
Business Update - Shearings



Lesley

 

I remember Towton,I didn't live far from there, it was in local history and often used to bike there as a youngster.Later we used it as a relaxing way to Taddy and then on to York,Malton and Scarborough....basic A roads in those days and no bypasses

Towton used to be a small village with the pub more like a terraced house,and standing on its own, similar to the Woodman at Glasshoughton before it had to make way for the M 62. The pub has now been totally surrounded with a high intensive modern development.I would say now it's a dormitory for Leeds and York.

As history was told "When the River Cock flowed with the blood of the Lancastrians".. the river virtually, a stream can still be seen at the bottom of the high ground where the battle was fought....there is a simple memorial recording the battle fought in 1461.

Now Owen, I don't want to see you two buggers falling out.

 

Join the Battlefields Trust. They organise the biggest programme of walks in England. They also protect and interpret battlefields. Sheldrake served in its ranks for a couple of decades and worked on the Bosworth project which located the battle 2 km away from the traditional site.

There are issues around interpreting Towton. The historic source information on the battle could be written on the back of a postage stamp. It has been a matter of Yorkshire pride that it was the biggest and bloodiest battle on English soil. The Towton Battlefield Society has a very good trail with information panels.

 

In bringing up this topic,I remembered last night an excellent article on the Battle of Towton published many years ago....time flies.It was published by the Sunday Times Magazine which on checking it up was published on 24 August 2008.I passed it on to one of my sons who is very interested in medieval history and that from the Roman occupation, a passion which has been picked up by one of his sons.Spoke to him this morning and he has it.

Full of gory detail,the STM declares the battle as "Towton,the bloodbath that changed the course of our history"